Field Recording and Safety Equipment Workshop 2024

Join CHL and PARADISEC for this two-part workshop, held over two days:

Part 1: 9:30–12:30 on Thursday, 7 November

Part 2: 9:30–12:30 on Friday, 8 November

Note: This is one workshop, broken into two sessions to make it easier for people to attend.

Day 1: 7 November 2024 (Thursday), 9.30am - 12.30pm (session times listed below are approximate)

Session 1.1 (9.30-10.30): Quick introduction to our Teams’ site

• Presentation of the types of equipment fieldworkers
• Brief introduction to some technical terminology for microphones and audio/video recorders

Session 1.2 (10.30-11.30):

• Get your hands on the actual equipment, including audio and video recorders, microphones, power options, solar panels
• Explore how these items can be used in combination with each other.
• We’ll go over how to turn on the equipment, navigate the device menus, change recording settings, where to find the device manuals, etc.

At this point, one volunteer will be asked to video record the rest of the sessions.

Session 1.3 (11.30-12.30):

• Group breakout session, with groups rotating through four field elicitation tasks, using different combinations of the equipment:
  
  

          Activity 1: word list elicitation and reading task (audio recorder, head-mounted mic)\

         Activity 2: grammatical elicitation (audio recorder, using device’s on-board mic, and notetaking)

        Activity 3: picture task (video recorder, audio recorder, wireless lapel mic)

       Activity 4: two-person dialogue (audio recorder, tabletop mics or wireless lapel mics)

For these breakout sessions, you will learn how to use the equipment to make audio & video recordings and learn data management tips for keeping your files organised. At the end of the day, all files will be uploaded to our Teams’ “RESOURCES” folder.

Day 2: 8 November 2023 (Friday), 9.30am - 12.30pm (session times listed below are approximate)

Session 2.1 (9.30-10.30):

• We will go to our RESOURCES folder, retrieve the recordings and see the quality of audio/video from the different recording devices used yesterday.
• Learn how to use audio and video players and editors.

If we do not make it through all the recordings, do not fear! All material that we collect will be held on the workshop’s Teams site for you to access until the end of 2025. You can find links to free software and instructions for exploring the audio and video files on the Wiki tab.

Session 2.2 (10.30-11.00):

• Seasoned field workers discuss what their best and worst equipment experiences have been out in the field.
• Q&A time: bring your pre-existing questions, or take note of any questions that pop up during the workshop

Session 2.3 (11.00-11.30): New process for checking out any equipment for use

Session 2.4 (11.30-12.30): Safety equipment (satellite phones, personal locator beacons, GPS units), requirements for using this equipment and procedures for checking it out

For more information on the workshop, visit the official event website.

Please direct all enquires about the workshop to Julia.Miller@anu.edu.au